Cover for running boards and the like



June 15, 1937. E. ENGLAND COVER FOR RUNNING BOARDS AND THE LIKE Filed June 8, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1v E nl) JNVEN rae W/L 44M E E'Nz AND ma 54M gw ,4N-@ENE Ys www @HLHH June 15, 1937. w, E ENGLAND 2,084,021

COVER FOR RUNNING BOARDS AND THE LIKE Filed June 8, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 flllli/lllll Arran/vs f5 Patented June 15, 1937 yPATENT oFFlcE COVER FR RUNNING BOARDS AND THE LIKE William E. England, Willoughby, Ohio, assignor to The @h io Rubber Company, Willoughby, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application June 8, 1934, Serial No. 729,626

7 Claims.

This invention relates to covers for running boards and the like of the exible attaohable type and preferably formed of rubber or other suitable non-metallic material,

The invention is an improvement over the covers forming the subject matter of application Serial No. 724,940 led May 10, 1934 and Serial No. 725,537 led May 14, 1934. In these applications are illustrated rubber running board cov- 10 ers designed to be fastened mechanically to the running boards by fastening clips or equivalent devices, the covers being ,made flexible so that they will conform to the curvatures of the board and lie smoothly thereon when fastened in place.

15 In one of these applications, Serial No. 725,537,

the covers are formed of rubber reenforced with flat flexible strips which preferably extend lengthwise of the cover substantially from end to end, with the strips embedded in the rubber and vulr20 canized in place flush with the lower surface thereof and with the clips having their heads embedded in the rubber next to the strip V,and-

extending atV intervals through the strips and through the lower surface of the cover so that they may be inserted in slots formed in the running board body and twisted or otherwise manipulated to fasten the cover in place. In the other of these applications referred to above, the cover is. held in place either by short isolated anchorage 30 plates molded in the rubber flush with the lower surface thereof and with clips associated therewith or by a combination of the isolated plates and clips with one or more of the strips with their associated clips.

35 It has been found that covers of this type answer the requirements, but, in some instances, there is a tendency for the strips to pull loose from the rubber, particularly at their ends. It is the principal object of the present invention 40 to increase the surface of Contact between the rubber and the strip or isolated plate reenforcement and anchorage means, and to provide certain distortions lor changes in the normal configurations of the strips or plates to provide a more 45 eifective interlock between the rubber and the embedded metal.

The invention may be briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts 50 which will be described in the specification and attached to a running board and illustrating portions of the adjacent parts of the vehicle chassis adjacent the running board;

Fig. 2 is an-edge view of the same, the reenforcing means in the form of strips and the fastening clips being illustrated by dotted lines in this gure as well as in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View substantially along the line 3 3 of Fig. 1;.

Fig. 4 is a similar sectional View showing a mo dication;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a fastening clip which is preferably employed in securing the cover to theA running board;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan View showing a portion of one of the strips and illustrating one way in which the end thereof may be anchored in the rubber, the parts being shown on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same;

Fig. 8 is a View similar to Fig. 6 showing another modification Y Fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectional View of the.

modification of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Figs. 6 and 8 showing a still further modication; l

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same;

Figs. 12, 13, 14, and 15 are sectional views taken through a reenforcing strip or other clip anchorage and illustrating still diiicrent interlocks between the anchorage means and the rubber;

Fig. 16 is a View similar to Figs. 6, 8, and 10, showing a further modification; and

Fig. 17 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.

Referring now to the drawings, 20 represents a running board curved downwardly at the front, iianged downwardly at its ends, and attached to the front fender 2l and rear fender 22. Extending over substantially the entire running boardisa cover 23 which is preferably formed of rubber, although, as previously stated, equivalent non-metallic material may be employed so long as it answers the necessary requirements as to flexibility, durability, appearance, and the like. In this instance, the cover 23 extends not only over the board but a distance up along the adjacent portion of the fender 2 l, and it extends over the curved front of the board as illustrated in Fig. 3. This cover is held in place all around its margin or perimeter by a binding strip 24 which is secured to the board by suitable fasteners 25 to Obtain a goodY bond with the rubber being preferred. These strips serve as a cover reenforcement and as anchorage means for a series of fastening clips such as illustrated at 2.1 in Fig. 5, these clips being formed from'sheet metal, as more fully described in the prior applications referred to, and having heads which are embedded in the rubber next to the stripsand having Shanks which extend through thefst'rips and areinserted in slots (one being shown in Fig.

' rubber.

1) formed in the running board, and, inrthisV instance, in the adjoining portion ofthe front fender 2l, the shanks being adapted to Vbe turned or twisted Vto securely fasten the cover 'in place. This icover ythe reenforcing Yand fastening means are substantially the same as those illustrated in application Serial No. '725,537Y referred to above. So far as the present Vinvention-.isoch- Vcernerd, it'is'inirnaterial how the-strips,v are arranged in the cover and how many strips are utilized. To an extent also it is immaterial whether thestrips arecontinuous, as .illustrated in Fig. 1, or are broken up into isolated anchorage plates for the clips. In Fig. 1 the reenforcing and anchorage means for the clips arefinv lthe form of two longitudinally extendinglembedded strips of the type referred to, the same being Yillustrated in cross-section in Fig. 3. In the constructionillustrated in Fig. 4, the binding strip is omitted and the cover is held in place entirely by the clips associated-with Vreenforcements in vthe 'form of strips `or isolated plates. The construction illustratedin Fig. 4 will be referred to presently.Y V1 i Y 1 As stated above, it is the principal aim of vthe invention -to more thoroughly ,interlockv the reenforcing and` clip anchorage means withthe In Figs. Sand 7 the embedded-metal strips, wlfn'ch 'may be similar to those described Vabove and which are here designated 26a, are

.molded flush with the lower surfaceof the rubber but at its end which is adjacent vthe end of the cover 23 a tongue 25h is struck up and is buried inthe body of the rubber. Y L

In Figs. 8 and 9, the reenforcing strip 2.6i2V has Y its entire end, designated 26d, struck up from the body of the strip and buried in the rubber. It

will be understood that the means utilized inv either-Figs. 6 and 7 of Figs. 8 and 9 will be em'- ployed at both 'ends ofthe strip.

creased by roughing or knurling `the top surface `V of the strip. Y Y

In Fig. 13, the bond between thestrip and the rubber is increased by corrugating the strpwhich is here designated 2th. /In Fig. 14, the strip, designated 261', is somewhat channel-shaped, the edge of the strip being turned up into the rubber.

In Fig. 15, the strip 2lik is .quite similar tothe strip 26J of Fig. 14 but is less distinctlychannelshaped and is somewhatV dished by having its edgesslightly curved upwardly so as to be embedded in the rubber.

In Figs. 16 and 17, the strip 26m is deformed by having elongated'protuberances 25511 struck up so as to extend into the rubber beyond the body of the strip which, as in all the preceding instances,

is flush with the lower surfaceof the rubber.

All these deformations 'accomplish the object of this invention by increasing the bond between `the rubber and the metal without causing the location of the strips to be observable from Vthe top of the cover and without interfering withtheV function of the strips as anchorage meansy for the clips. As previously stated, these same expedients may be used for short anchorage plates of the isolated type.

short anchorage plates (if they are employed) are preferably rounded to a more or less degree, as illustrated in the figures, instead ,of'b'eingcut sharp or square at their ends, -asnit has'been found that `the rounded ends are more for retention in the rubber. f In the cover Aillustrated iinV Fig. 4 and briefly referred to heretofore,V the reenforcing strips and anchorage means extend along ,the .longitudinal margins of vthecover vas wellias lengthwise of the cover .inwardly of the margins. It will :be noted that, along the front margin of the cover where it conforms to the curved front flange, .the strip, here designated 26p, is convexly curved to conform `to the convex curvature of the board, whereas the strips which extend .through .the

relatively flat :part of the cover, andhere designatedV 261, are dished or concaved upwardly substantially ras illustrated ins-Fig. 15. This `is Ya suitame novel combination of curvatures which Vis eiective'for the purposes intended.

' I'hus it will be seen that there :are-numerous ways in which the strips of the applications previously referred to maybe distorted or shaped to form more yeffective adhesion or interlocks :between the metaland theV rubber. Other ways of carrying out theinvention may be employed, as,

tions which do. not involve a. departure from tb" spirit andscope of the invention.

Having thus described my, invention, I claim: 1. A flexible cover for a running board comprising -rubber Vhaving a plurality of spaced metal reenforcements embedded flush with the lower surface `of the rubber and distorted toy 'form interlocking means between the rubber and .the metal.

2. A flexible cover for running ,boards formed from rubber or equivalent material-having .fas-

tening clips and anchorage means therefor embedded at spaced pointsin ,the` rubber substanplurality of spaced metal reenforcing strips embedded in the rubber flush with the lower surface thereof and having part or all of one or both ends of the strips bent up into and embedded in the rubber.

4. A iiexible cover for running boards formed ist between the metal and from rubber or' equivalent material having fastening clips extending through the lower surface thereof and having a plurality of spaced metal reenforcing and anchorage means for the clips molded in the rubber substantially f1ush` with the lower surface thereof, and having edge portions of the reenforcing and anchorage means bent upward into and embedded in the rubber.

5. A exible cover for running boards formed from rubber or equivalent material having fastening clips extending through the lower surface thereof and having a. plurality of spaced metal reenforcing and anchorage means for the clips molded in the rubber substantially flush with the lower surface thereof, and having portions struck up from the body of the reenforcing and anchorage means and embedded in the rubber.

6. A flexible cover for running boards formed from rubber or equivalent material having fastening clips extending through the lower surface thereof and having a plurality of spaced reenforcing and anchorage means for the clips ernbedded substantially flush with the lower surface of the rubber, and having the surface of the metal which is vulcanized to the rubber roughened or corrugated.

7. A cover for a vehicle running board cornprising a rubber tread having spaced metal reenforcernents embedded therein with portions of the reenforcements struck up and disposed in p the rubber tread above the lower surface thereof and other portions of the reenforceinents substantially flush with the lower surface of the tread, and fastening clips having heads embed ded in the rubber and shanks projecting from the lower surface of the tread and extending through said substantially flush portions of the reenforcernents.

WILLIAM E'. ENGLAND. 

